UnLtd - East End Connect | Supporting Social Entrepreneurs

Empowering social entrepreneurs to transform Hackney, and Barking & Dagenham

We know that people in every community have the talent and potential to find solutions to social problems. We have partnered with UBS to launch East End Connect in Hackney and Barking & Dagenham. We will support 42 social entrepreneurs in these areas to start, grow and scale social ventures tackling challenging local social issues.

East End Connect builds on the momentum and impact of Hackney Connect, which helped 175 people into employment and benefitted more than 2,000 people around Hackney. We want to continue to help people with enterprising ideas develop the confidence, skills and connections to make their ideas for social change a reality.

How can we support you?

Cally Munchy at the City Hall

Do It

Our Do It awards give you up to £5,000 cash, alongside a tailored package of support, so that you can create a social venture to tackle any social problem you’re passionate about fixing.

SoFab Sports printing merchandise

Thrive

Our accelerator, Thrive, will support 12 social ventures who have already demonstrated impact, the potential to scale and who want to improve employment opportunities for people distant from the labour market across the East End.

Criteria

East End Connect supports those who are

Aged 16 or over
Reside in the United Kingdom
Willing to participate in a learning experience
Working to benefit people living in the London Boroughs of Hackney and Barking & Dagenham.

To be eligible you must:

Have a real social impact
Fulfil a clear need and demand
Have clear outputs and goals
Provide a learning experience or opportunity.

We cannot support concepts and ventures that:

Are part of your paid employment where you are an employee
Involve political or religious campaigning
Involve activities outside the law or against public policy, or anything that encourages enthnic, religious or commercial disharmony

Apply for support

You can submit an expression of interest using the button below. At this stage we’ll ask you to tell us a few ideas about yourself, the problem you’re trying to tackle, and your idea to achieve this.

Do It application deadlines

Spring

Expressions of Interest received on or before: 27 March 2018

Final submission date for application documents: 24 April 2018

Final decision meeting week commencing: 25 June 2018

Summer

Expressions of Interest received on or before: 8 Aug 2018

Final submission date for application documents: 30 Aug 2018

Final decision meeting week commencing: 29 Oct 2018

Thrive applications

Applications for Thrive access to employment close in March each year with the programme starting in July.

Submit an application

Other support

If you're not based in East London we can still help you. We provide three levels of early stage support, designed to match your growth as a social entrepreneur. Many of the people we support progress through different stages of awards as their venture grows.

Try it

Often the biggest changes start with one small idea. Our Try...

Do It

Our Do it awards help make your idea for social change a...

Grow It

The Grow It award is for social entrepreneurs looking to grow...

Events

We host a series of events throughout the UK each year. From classes and conferences, seminars and workshops to networking events and training sessions.

Upcoming events

Learning area

Looking for financial guidance? Want to sharpen your marketing skills? Access our range of guides in the learning area.

Visit our learning area